Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites a fourth switching module however does not recite a third switching module. Applicant should amend claim 6 to depend from claim 2 where the third module is recited or otherwise clarify the claim to clearly require a third switching module. Presently is unclear the number of switching modules required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, and 4-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (US 20250167584)
With respect to claim 1 Liu teaches a power converter, comprising: a first switching module (formed with at least R1s), a second switching module (formed with at least R2t and R1t), a first power conversion module (formed with Q1-Q2), and a second power conversion module (formed with Q3-Q4), each of the first power conversion module and the second power conversion module comprising two bridge arms (see arms shown in Fig. 1 for example see paragraph 0025), wherein the first switching module is configured to cause an input terminal of the first power conversion module to be selectively electrically connected to a direct current power supply (BT1)or a first phase (phase S) of an alternating current power supply (AC supply shown in Fig. 2), the second switching module is configured to cause an input terminal of the second power conversion module to be selectively electrically connected to the direct current power supply (by opening and closing switch for example R1t and R2t) or a second phase of the alternating current power supply (R1t open R2t closed), and the first power conversion module and the second power conversion module are configured to cause the two bridge arms thereof to independently perform AC-DC conversion (paragraph 0025 33), to supply power to a direct current bus from the alternating current power supply.
With respect to claim 2 and 10 Liu teaches a third switching module (see R3s/R3t) and a third power conversion module (see third bridge arm Fig. 3 associated with Q3s/t for example), wherein the third power conversion module is a DC-DC conversion module (see paragraph 0028), the third switching module is configured to control (see opening and closing relay connection) connection and disconnection between the direct current power supply and an input terminal of the third power conversion module, and an output terminal of the third power conversion module is electrically connected to the direct current bus (see flow of power with arrows shown in Fig. 3).
With respect to claim 4 Liu teaches when the alternating current power supply is abnormal (see paragraph 0004), at least one of the first power conversion module and the second power conversion module is configured to perform DC-DC conversion (see paragraph 0028).
With respect to claim 5 Liu teaches wherein during a switching period when the first power conversion module and the second power conversion module are configured to switch (see charger to supplying during a failure) from DC-DC conversion to AC-DC conversion (paragraph 0028), the third power conversion module is configured to perform DC-DC conversion (see Fig. 3).
With respect to claim 6 Liu teaches a fourth switching module (see four switching modules in Fig. 2-3 R1-R4) and a fourth power conversion module (see four conversion modules shown in Fig. 2 and 3), the fourth power conversion module comprising two bridge arms (see high and low mosfets), wherein the fourth switching module is configured to cause an input terminal of the fourth power conversion module to be selectively electrically connected to a third phase (phase R, paragraph 0033) of the alternating current power supply (AC supply see Fig. 2-3), and the fourth power conversion module is configured to cause the two bridge arms thereof to independently perform AC-DC conversion (see paragraph 0025), to supply power to the direct current bus from the third phase of the alternating current power supply.
With respect to claims 7 and 8 Liu teaches the first power conversion module, comprises a first bridge arm (see Q1s and Q2s), a second bridge arm, a first inductor (L1s), and a second inductor (L2s), wherein the first bridge arm comprises a first transistor and a second transistor (see mosfet transistors) connected in series (see arrangement in Fig. 2), and a node between the first transistor and the second transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the first inductor; the second bridge arm is connected in parallel with the first bridge arm and comprises a third transistor (Q3) and a fourth transistor (Q4) connected in series, and a node (see node between transistors shown in Fig. 2) between the third transistor and the fourth transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second inductor (see where inductor input to bridge arms of conversion shown in Fig. 2-3); a second terminal of the first inductor (see left side inductor) and a second terminal of the second inductor are input terminals of the first power conversion module; and a node between the first transistor and the third transistor is electrically connected to a positive electrode of the direct current bus (see + terminal of battery) , and a node (node between transistors) between the second transistor and the fourth transistor is electrically connected to a negative electrode (see – terminal of battery) of the direct current bus.
With respect to claim 9 Liu teaches the first transistor (Q1) and the fourth transistor (Q4) of the first power conversion module are configured to be turned on (see operation show for powerflow in Fig. 3), while the second transistor (Q2) and the third transistor (Q3) of the first power conversion module, thereby performing the DC-DC conversion.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of Carlson et al. (US 8,193,662).
With respect to claim 3 Liu teaches the first power conversion module and the second power conversion module are configured to perform AC-DC conversion (see paragraph 0025), while the third power conversion module is configured to perform DC-DC conversion (see paragraph 0028), and the alternating current power supply and the direct current power supply jointly supply power to the direct current bus, however, does not teach the use of a heavy use mode. Carlson teaches the known use of (col. 15 lines 1-40) a heavy- load operating mode. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Liu to include the known use of supplementing power from the battery system during heavy load to reduce costs or prevent over current conditions.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Fin whose telephone number is (571)272-5921. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30.
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MICHAEL FIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/MICHAEL R. FIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836